Cheapskate

When I was eleven I went to the grocery store with my dad. Going to the store with Dad was fun because he actually listened to you when you started hounding him to buy item A or product B. My mom had learned years earlier to leave us kids at home or, failing that, to tune us out for as long as she could and then threaten beatings when she couldn't ignore the whining anymore. I didn't know it at the time, but that trip to the grocery store would forever change how I looked at money management.

Everything Dad bought that day, from baggies to cereal, was store brand. Having been quite effectively brainwashed by television commercials for brand-name products, I was horrified. "No, Dad!" I urged, "Buy the Zip-Loc baggies! They're better!"

"How are they better?" He demanded.

How are they better? How are they better?! Well, let's look at the packaging, for one thing. The colors! The professional design job! Everything about the packaging screamed superiority. But that argument didn't fly with my dad.

"They're exactly the same," he insisted. "And I'm not spending four dollars for something I can get for two."

At the time I thought he was a total dweeb. Now that it's my hard-earned money on the line, I'm singing a different tune.

At the grocery store I almost always buy the store brands. I do make an exception for my shampoo and conditioner because I've tried cheaper brands and I just prefer the way Herbal Essences makes my hair feel and smell. But other than that, it's store brands all the way, baby. I've also started clipping coupons. And when I say "clipping coupons," I mean, "printing them from online."

You should totally check out:
savvyshopperdeals.com
shortcuts.com
heraldextra.com/coupons (I think that might only be good for Utah)

They have tons of great coupons, and Savvy Shopper Deals' shopping wizard is totally awesome because it ranks how good the deals are (Wow!; Great; and Good). Seriously, go check them out. You'll save a grip of cash.

And before I buy anything online I always check to see if there's a coupon code for it (there almost always is). I've saved money on Papa John's pizza and shipping, among other things, and just recently Kristen saved sixteen bucks on a new camera because she Googled the site name + coupon code. Buying an airplane ticket? Find the flight you want on a site like Travelocity, then go right to the airline's website and buy the ticket through them. You'll save the $10 booking fee. Because, as Dad said, why spend more for the exact same thing?

When in doubt, haggle. Three years ago I would have been mortified at the thought of haggling for something in a respectable shop, but after seeing a segment on the Today show about haggling and how much money you can save, I decided to give it a try. Last year my sister had her eye on a bench at Pier 1. We went in one day to browse, and she noticed the bench was on sale. It was marked down from about $300 to $189, which was still a bit out of my sister's comfort zone. The sales person came over to see if we needed any help or had any questions. "Well, here's the thing," I told her. "We love this bench, but I don't know that we $189 love it." She went to talk to her manager and informed us that they could reduce the price to $99. I was floored. I thought they might be willing to drop the price to $150, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they would sell it to us for $99. I used the same tactic a while later at a little local shop, and they gave me 15% off. Just because I asked nicely. I'm not saying it always works, but it sure doesn't hurt to ask.

So, yes, I am a cheapskate. Along with pale skin and freckles, a hatred of sports, love of animals, and obsession with correct spelling and grammar, it's just one more thing I've gotten from my dad.

So, now that I've told you how I save money, how about you tell me how you save money?